Perforating machine



Aug. l5, 1933. H. G. KELLY 1,922,248

PERFORATING MACHINE Filed July 3, 1930 5W :H [,A w! MW *um f' 'I :A5.lmfirlfll r X M1 Alim-@mlbL MMMM gwWMM, u' ww "fvwm gli w 'l /Z Mm K Z/y l Y HZ/ hyd? Z/ zo Z520/)g4 2z Patented Aug. 1s, 1933 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

The present invention has to do with a perforating or marking device andrelates particu larly to such a device adapted to travel with a movingsheet of material to perforate, incise, in-

dent or mark such sheet.

The invention has for one of its objects a means forperpendicularlyperforating,indentingor incising a sheet of material in motion, withoutinterrupting the continuous movement of such sheet. or distorting theperpendicular perforations. indentations and incisions. This result isattained by imparting to a series of sleeve-blocks and associateddie-plates, a motion similar and parallel to that of the sheet material,during which parallel motion die-plates are successively depressed by acam action so that prongs, projections or knives mounted upon thedie-plates are in turn pressed perpendicularly into the moving sheet ofmaterial and withdrawn perpendicularly from such moving material. Otherobjects of the invention will later appear.

The invention consists of a novel and useful construction, combinationand arrangement of parts as described herein and later claimed, one formonly of the invention being illustrated in the accompanying single sheetof drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a complete machine embodying thesubject matter of the invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the upper face of one of thesleeve blocks in its position when moving in the lower plane of Figurel:

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view in elevation disclosing the associationand inter-relation of the sleeve-block, rack, driving gear, guidingWheels, prongs, die-plates, spindles and cam when moving in the lowerplane of Figure l;

Figure 4 is an end elevation of the several parts disclosed in Figure 3;40 Figure 5 is a fragmentary plan view of the lower face 'of a die-platewhen moving in the lower plane showing the arrangement of the prongs,knives and projections upon the lower face of such die-plate; and vFigure 6 is a schematic representation of the cam which operates uponthe die-plates to cause them to penetrate material going through themachine.

Like reference characters are used to designate similar parts in thedrawing and in the description of the invention which follows.

In Figure 1. there are shown a number of sleeve-blocks l0 joinedtogether to form an endless chain by means of flexible links ll at theirinner adjacent corners. Thus when the blocks (Cl. lOl- 4) are actuatedby an outside force. said blocks and the die-plates 12 associatedtherewith are capable of moving around the outer segments of two sets ofguiding wheels 13 located a distance apart, and in straight parallelplanes between these wheels. Driving gear wheels 1,4 mesh with racks 15(or to chains attached in a line to the inner faces of the sleeveblocks, not shown) provide continuous motion to the series of sleeveblocks 10 and associated die-plates l2 when the 65 gear wheel 14 isactuated by a prime mover. The die-plates 12 are in close contact with asleeve block 10 while the sleeve blocks are moving around either set ofguiding wheels 13 or in the upper plane therebetween, but these plates12 are de- 70 pressed and pushed from the sleeve-block 10 when, in theprogress of the sleeve blocks 10 along the lower plane of its travel,spindles 16 at each side of the die-plates 12 and extending throughsleeve blocks 10 are successively brought into 75 contact with one endof the under sides 17 of the cams 18.

As the spindle 16`travels therealong with its roller bearing 19 inengagement with the lower periphery of cam 18, plates 12 are forceddown- 8O wardly so that the prongs 20, projections 21 and knives 22 ofeach die-plate 12 are pressed perpendicularly into the body of a sheetof material 24, which because of the penetration thereinto of the prongs20, or because of the application of a synchronized roller (not shown)must move in a parallel direction with the blocks 10 at the same rate ofspeed as said blocks.

The prongs 20, knives 22 and projections 21, of each die-plate 12 are inturn withdrawn perpen- 90 dicularly from the body of the material 2l asthe downward pressure is released when the spindles 16 of each die-plate12 successively engage with the upward sloping under side 25 of the cam18, while the die-plate 12 and bearing-block 10 95 are still movingalong a plane parallel to the face of the material 24, before that planemotion is changed to circular motion when the contact of thebearing-block 10 with the circumference of the right hand guiding wheel13 changes that 100 plane-motion into circular motion.

A bed 26 over which the sheet of material 24 moves, adjustable inheight, by gears 27 operated by a hand Wheel 28, regulates the depth ofthe penetration of the prongs 20, knives 22 and pro- 105 jections 21 ofthe die-plates 12 into the body of the material 24.

For convenience, the machine maybe formed upon a plate 29 having channelirons 30 at the side. The rod or shaft operating gears 27 are jour- 110nailed in such channel irons, while the gears in plate 26 are journalledin said plate and plate 29, upon the upper flange 31 of channel irons30, there are mounted brackets 32 and 33, the former journalling theshafts 34 of the guide wheels 13, and the latter the shaft 35 of thegear wheel 14. The several gears 27 may be arranged to operateconjointly by a shaft 36 mounted in one of channel irons 30 andcontrolled by a single hand wheel 28.

In Figures 2, 3, and 4, there are shown in fragmentary plan, elevationand end view, semicircular lugs 37 associated with the internal cornersof each bearing-block. These are bored at tl'ie line of the upper edgeof the block 10'to receive the pin 38 of the flexible link 11 whichjoins adjacent blocks 10 in close contact when such blocks are movingalong a plane and permitting the outer portions of adjacent blocks 10 toseparate when the blocks are moving around the circumference of theguiding wheels 13.

Said Figures 2, 3 and 4 also disclose the sections of racks on each ofthe bearing blocks 10 which sections form two continuous trackscooperating with the driving gears 14 to transmit the motion impartedthereto by a prime mover not shown) to the chain of connected bearingblocks 10 and their associated die-plates 12.

There may be one of two transverse grooves 40 in each bearing block 10,which form one or two continuous groove tracks receiving the flanges 41of one of two sets of two wheels 13 each, revolving freely but mountedto prevent axial movement on the axles 34 located at the ends of themachine. The wheels 13 control the essential plane and circular motionsof thev blocks l0 and by their. flanges 41 prevent any lateral motion ofthe blocks 10.

At each end of blocks 10, there are holes 42 bored vertically througheach bearing block 10 acting as a sleeve bearingfto contain, in freelyslidable contact, the two spindles 16 secured to the die-plate 12, onenear each of its two ends and on the median line thereof. When thespindles 16 of a die-plate 12 are inserted within the sleeves 42 of abearing-block 10 as shown in Figures 3 ,and 4, the slidable contactbetween spindle and sleeve, permits of free separation of the die-plate12 from its associated .sleeve-block 10, but maintains, at every degreeof separation, the horizontal surfaces of the die-plate and bearingblock in parallel planes, and prevents any lateral displacement of thedie-plate 12 from its vertical relation to the associated bearing block10.

In both of Figures 3 andV 4, the die-plate 12 is in position it occupieswhen moving along the lower plane separated from bearing block 10. Eachspindle 16 within the sleeve 42 is furnished with a collar 43 near itsfree end, limiting the upward thrust of a coil spring 44 surrounding thespindle 16 and contacting at its other end with an upper surface 10 of abearing block. The roller bearing 19 at the end of the spindle 16 isgenerally disposed between a bifurcated end on the spindle and isemployed to provide a rela.- tively frictionless contact with the undersurface of the cam 18. The. thrust of the compressed coil spring 44against the collar 43 of the spindle 16 and an upper surface of thebearing block 10, maintains the close contact of the adjacent surfacesof the die-plate 12 and the bearing block 10 during the travel of eachbearing block and its associated die-plate 12 around the guiding wheels13 and along the upper plane between contact with the downward slopingunder sur-V.,

faces 17 of the two cams 18, whereby the dieplate 12 is depressed awayfrom its associated bearing block 10 and pressed vertically into thebody of the horizontal sheet of material 24 underneath, the prongsremaining therein during part of the horizontal progress of thedie-plate 12, and being vertically withdrawn as the spindles 16 of eachdie-plate 12 in turn contact with the upward-sloping under sides of theother end of the cam 18 and before the completion of the horizontaltravel of the bearing block 10 and the die-plates 12.

The prongs 20, projections 21 and knives 22 extend downward from thelower face of the dieplate 12. One knife 22 is shown extending lowerthan the prongs 20, to permit the sheet being completely severed by theknife 22, while perforations may be made which extend only partlythrough the material, when so desired. Such a severing knife 22 may beattached to one or more of the die-plates l2, and the prongs 20,projections 21 or knives 22 may be used separately, or in anycombination, to produce any amount of perforation, or any designdesired.

One of the two exactly similar cams 18 mounted in parallel position oneither side of the machine is shown in Figure 6. The path of travel ofthe spindles 16 is along the lower plane of the cam 18 and both cams arespaced the same distance from the bed 26 on which the material 24 restsand travels, the distance between the point of contact 51 between thehorizontally moving spindle 16 withthe downward sloping, under side 17of the cam, and the point 52 at which the spindle 16 loses contact withthe upward sloping under side 25 of the cam, is less than the distancebetween the points of tangency of the plane of travel. The lower surfaceof the cam 18 is shown as horizontal between the lowestr point of thedownward slope 17 and the lowest point of the upward slope 25. Thevertical' distance between the point of contact 51 of the spindle withthe cam 18 and the lowest point of the cam is greater than the depth ofpenetration of the prongs 20 or knives 22 to permit their clearance ofthe sheet 24 when not depressed by the contact of spindle 16 with cam18.

It will be seen that the penetration of the prongs 20, knives 22 andprojections 21 into the body of the sheet of material 24 is accomplishedwhile the die-plates 12 are moving in a horizontal plane parallel and atthe same rate of speed as the movement of the sheet of material wherebythis penetration is made and withdrawn perpendicularly to the sheet ofmaterial 24 without interrupting the motion of the sheet or distortingthe penetration by any other than a truly perpendicular movement.

What is new, and is claimed as the invention herein, is:-

l. A means of indenting a fiat sheet of material to provide indentatonsnormal to the face thereof, comprising a series of die-plates havingprojections thereon, a series of flexibly connected blocks. each of saiddie-plates being slidably associated with one of said blocks, astationary elongated base to receive material and 2. That process ofimpressing a sheet of mat-erial with a series of impression plates whichcomprises the steps of moving a sheet of material over a supported planeconcurrently moving the plates at the same speed and in parallelismtherewith, and advancing and retracting the impression plate relative tosuch material and partly therethrough while so moving.

HARRY G. KELLY.

